FREE Summer Meals for Area Kids

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Joplin Public Library is proud to partner with the Joplin School District’s Nutritional Services department to provide free lunches to area children starting Monday, July 1.  Any child, under 18 years, is eligible to receive a sack lunch.  Lunches will be handed out Monday through Friday, from 11:00-11:30am, while supplies last, in the vending area of the Library, located at 1901 E. 20th St.  They will be provided on a first come, first served basis, with the program running through August 16, 2024.  All food must be eaten onsite. 

 

Remembering JPL Teen Librarian, Beth Snow

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It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce Beth Snow, beloved Teen Services Librarian of Joplin Public Library, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2024 after a long battle with cancer.  

Known for her encouraging words, her joyful spirit, and her commitment to the Library and its patrons, Beth devoted her career to ensuring that every teen felt welcomed and supported by libraries. Beth spent over 20 years of her life working in libraries, eight of those at Joplin Public Library.  Her memory will live on in those that knew and loved her.

During an interview in 2022, she explained her passion for Teen Services, “The Teen Department offers a safe space, free of judgment for teens to grow, to explore, to deal, to connect, or to just “be”.  Building relationships is the foundation, the bulk of what happens here.  Teen Services can be as incredible, beautiful, heart-breaking, messy, and glorious as adolescence itself!”

Beth’s visitation will be Thursday, June 20, from 6:00-7:00 pm at Mason-Woodard Mortuary and Crematory.  Her funeral will be held Friday, June 21, at 2:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church in Joplin.  Her full obituary may be viewed here.  

The library will be closed Friday, June 21, from 1:00-6:00 pm to allow staff to attend the funeral.  Webb City Public Library has graciously agreed to host the Children’s program, Bobby Norfolk Storyteller, scheduled for 2:00 pm on Friday.

Patrons are encouraged to visit the Library to sign a memorial card that will be shared with Beth’s family. Also, individuals may participate in a memory-sharing activity in the teen department as a tribute to Beth.

Coming Soon: Summer Reading 2024

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Joplin Reads Together Results

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Thank you all for a wonderful second year of Joplin Reads Together.  JPL is proud of the connections formed during this shared experience, and want to thank everyone who participated!  Also, thank you to our community partners, Post Art Library, Friends of the Joplin Public Library, Joplin Chamber of Commerce, and Missouri Southern State University Spiva Library, with special thanks to Friends of the Joplin Public Library for their sponsorship of the Author Visit!  Take a look at our results!

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

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Joplin Public Library wants to spread the word that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is now available to ALL Missouri Children age 0-5.  This was made possible by legislation (Section 178.694 RSMo) that identifies school districts as the local partner for this initiative. Full funding was included in DESE’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget to establish and administer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for all children in Missouri age 0-5. There is no cost to parents or schools for the books or the postage to deliver them.

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Community or State Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 2.6 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to age five – at no cost to families. 

Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More. The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit ImaginationLibrary.com.

The library’s role in this project is to help promote the program to area children and families.  From birth to age five, registered children receive a free book each month. To learn more and register, visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/MOSOUTHWEST/

If you need help signing up for the program, please come into the library and our Children’s Service Desk would be happy to assist you.

Health & Wellness Library of Things Additions

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Joplin Public Library is launching a new Health & Wellness category as part of their Library of Things collection, thanks to a recently awarded Bramlage & Willcoxon Foundation Grant.  Library of Things is a collection of non-traditional materials including tools, games, kitchen items, electronics and more — all available to check out for free from the Library. The collection has previously included items in four topic areas – Arts & Crafts, Tools & Tech, Kitchen Gear, Fun & Games. The heart of the collection includes items that library users would only potentially need once in a while or expensive items individuals could benefit from borrowing to test before an investment is made.

Dot Willcoxon with some of the new items in the Health & Wellness category.

Because of the grant award, twenty new items were purchased for the newly added Health and Wellness category, including such items as a professional grade carpet cleaner, a blood pressure monitor, light therapy lamp, exercise equipment, and more.  The new component to the Library of Things is available April 1, 2024.

“The Library of Things has been an extremely popular collection since its debut in May of 2023, and we believe that adding this category to the collection will only increase its usefulness to our patrons,” said Lori Crockett, PR/Marketing Assistant.  “We want each member of the community to have resources available to them to not only increase their awareness surrounding health and wellness topics, but also be able to provide some physical resources that will help. Inclusivity is important to the Library and this collection will be available for all community members that have a Joplin Public Library card.” 

The Bramlage and Willcoxon Foundation mission of “improving e lives of the people and communities it touches by focusing on health, education, and children” is in direct alignment with the Health & Wellness addition to the Library of Things. Joplin Public Library is thankful for the award and the opportunity to enrich and improve the lives of our community members by providing access to health and wellness resources.

  

Spring Cleaning with JPL!

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Spring Break with JPL

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